Chalk-holder.



PATENTED SEPT. 12, 1905.

W. H. WELLAND.

CHALK HOLDER.

APPLIOATIOK FILED AUG. 1. 1904.

gl isfi m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHALK-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1905.

Application filed August 1, 1904. Serial No. 219,144.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. WELLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Macungie, in the county of Lehigh and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chalk-Holders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in means for facilitating the chalking of cues for games such as pool, billiards, or the like; and the invention has for its object the removable mounting of pieces of chalk, such as is commonly used for application to ones, so that a cue may be brought into contact with the same for chalking, the chalk being economically used and the players saved the annoyance of having the chalk lost from time to time.

The invention consists in certain novel constructions, combinations,and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In'the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View in elevation of the chalk holding and applying device supported in proper position for use. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal section through the same. Fig. 3 is a top edge view of the chalking device. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the chalking device.

The device forming the subject-matter of this invention is suitable for holding and applying chalk in solid and powdered form to the ends of cues in the playing of such games as billiards, pool, and the like. The mechanism in its practical form comprises acasing 1, formed with a front plate 2, having apertures formed therein for admitting the end of a cue. As illustrated in the drawings, such a casing is generally provided with two or more apertures 3, behind which are located pieces of chalk. Still another aperture, as 4, is provided with means behind it for rubbing chalk in a powdered condition upon the sides of the cue-stick. The entrance to the apertures 3 and 4 is preferably surrounded by escutcheons or flaring edging portions, as 5 and 6. These escutcheons make it easy to insert the end of a cue in the apertures, for they serve to a considerable extent as guides therefor. They also make the front plate of the device ornamental in appearance. The casing to the rear of the front plate is formed with supports 7, adapted to maintain in position chalk-holders 8. The chalk-holders are limited at the front and rear by the plate 2 and the rear wall 9 of the casing, respectively. Theedge wall of the casing 1 is inclined below the chalk-holders, as at 10, the inclines leading toward the recess to the rear of the lower hole 4. The edge casing-wall also eX- tends from the inclined floors 1O downwardly and around the lower aperture and incloses a chalk-applying mechanism 11. The pieces of chalk are fitted within the holder 8, the said holders being preferably open rings or encircling bands permitting the chalk to be inserted from the rear or the front before the holders are mounted upon the support 7. Each holder is formed with an inwardly-extending overhanging book 12, which engages the upper edges of its support 7, thus holding the chalk in proper position with respect to the aperture 3. The holders are also provided with lateral projections 13, which form handles by which the hollow holders 8 can be lifted for removing them from the supports 7.

When the holder is removed from the casing,a piece of cue-chalk can be readily inserted therein from either side, since the said holders are open front and back. When the holder is placed in position in the casing again, the chalk is prevented from slipping from the same by the front plate 2 and therear wall 9 of the casing.

Although the chalk may be held in a vertical position behind the plate 2, yet in order to facilitate the chalking of the edges of the cue-tips I generally set the chalk-holders at an angle with respect to the plate 2, as clearly shownin Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. The upper edges of the supports 7 are inclined rearwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, so that when the chalk-holders are suspended thereon the said holders will assume an angular position with respect to the front'and rear walls of the casing. In this way it will be seen that when a one is thrust in one of the openings 3 and brought against the chalk the central part of the tip and the edge thereof at one point will be in contact with the chalk, which ioo is usually slightly hollowed for more fully chalk may be held vertically or be tipped at an angle in either direction with respect to the front and rear walls of the casing without departing at least from the spirit of the invention. The comparatively loose mounting of the holders upon the supports 7 makes it an easy matter to remove the holders from time to time and fill them with new chalk when the old pieces have become worn.

The casing extends downwardly below the chalk-holders, so as to surround the aperture 4:, and a yielding means is inclosed within the said casing for engaging the end of a one so as to remove therefrom any slippery substances that may accumulate thereon during the use of a cue. Within the lower part of the casing and opposite the aperture 4 is an inner casing or ring 15, which is removably mounted within the casing 1, being preferably held in position by means of a set-screw 16. The ring or inner casing 15 carries a ring or lining of yielding material 17, the said lining being preferably made of soft rubber. The lining or ring 17 is provided with a number of inwardly-projecting points or cue-engaging projections 18. These preferably extend radially toward the center of the opening 4, so that when a cue is thrust through the opening it will be engaged by all the said points or projections 18, rubbing the said one upon all sides thereof as the one is moved back and forth. The upper portion of the ring 15 is formed with an aperture 19, and the ring or lining 17 is also formed with one or more apertures 20 beneath the said aperture 19, the structure being such that the siftings of chalk which drop from the chalk-holders above can pass through the apertures 19 and 20 and be deposited upon the points or projections 18. In this manner the said projections 18 are always supplied with sufficient chalk to dry the surface of a one or remove any greasy or slippery substances that may accumulate thereon, making the one pass more easily back and forth in the guiding-hand of the player. The rear wall 9 of the casing is provided with a comparatively large aperture 21 opposite the opening 4, so that there will be ample room for the passage of the one in applying the chalk to it. In order to prevent the dropping of the powdered chalk at the rear of the casing, I preferably provide a yielding wall 22, forming a scraping and retaining means. The retaining-wall 22 is formed of yielding material, preferably rubber, so as to not injure the finish upon the surface of the cues passed through the chalkapplying device. The upper edge of the retaining-wall 22 is brought to a point a little above the ends of the lowest projections 18, so that ample room will be afforded for the passage of the one and yet the wall will extend high enough to retain the material contained within the casing.

The lining 17 is preferably removably secured within the casing 15 and may be cemented or otherwise secured therein. The retaining-wall 22 is also cemented or otherwise fastened within the lower portion of the casing.

The device is adapted to be applied to any suitable support, but is preferably applied to the edge of a table, casing, rack, or other support, upon which it may be so secured as to permit of the passage of the one below the support when it is thrust through the opening 4:. In order to secure the casing to such a support, it is provided with apertures in the front and rear walls, through which attachingscrews 23 may be passed, the screws being sufficiently long to reach beyond the rear wall and embed themselves in the material of the support, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4.

The front plate of the casing may be made ornamental and may be nickeled or otherwise handsomely finished to render the same neat and in keeping with other fixtures.

The device will not only be found to operate as a means for saving chalk, since the chalk will not be taken into the hands of players and yet will always be held in readiness for use in chalking the ends of ones.

In using the chalking device the player first inserts the end of his one in one of the apertures 3, turning the same a number of times against the chalk behind the same. He then thrusts the end of the one a short distance through the opening 4 and withdraws the same a sufficient number of times to dry the surface of the cue and supply it with sufficient chalk to facilitate the movement of the same in the hands of the player.

Having now described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A cue-chalking device comprising a casing provided with cue-admitting apertures, chalk-holding frames mounted therein and hooks formed upon said frames and engaging portions of the casing for supporting the chalk behind the openings.

2. A cue-chalking device comprisingacasing provided with cue-admitting apertures, chalk-holders mounted in the casing comprising frames for surrounding the chalk, hooks projecting therefrom and supports in the frame for engaging the said hooks.

3. A cue-chalking device comprisingacasing provided with apertures in its front wall, a frame open at the front and rear and fitting between the walls of the casing for removably holding pieces of chalk in place, and a projecting support-engaging arm carried by the said frame and overhanging a portion of the casing.

4. A cue-chalking apparatus comprising a casing, removable chalk holders mounted therein, the said holders forming the edge surrounding means for the chalk while the walls of the casing form the front and rear retaining means for the chalk, and means for suspending the holders between the walls of the casing.

5. A cue-chalking device comprising a casing having apertures in its front walls, removable chalk-holding frames open at the front and rear for holding pieces of chalk, hooks formed upon the said frames and transverse projections arranged in the casing for engaging the hooks and supporting the frames in position.

6. A cue-chalking device comprising a casing having oppositely-arranged apertures in its front and rear walls, acue-engaging means mounted between the walls comprising a ring of flexible material, and inwardly-radiating yielding points extending toward the center thereof and means arranged above the said ring for supplying powdered chalk thereto.

7. A cue-chalking device comprising a casing having means for holding pieces of chalk therein in a solid form, and means arranged below the solid-chalk-holding means for applying the chalk in a powdered condition, comprisinga supporting-ring, a ring of yielding material secured within the supportingring, both of said rings having inlet-apertures in their upper parts, through which the powdered chalk produced by rubbing the cues against the solid chalk may drop, and a series of inwardly -projecting yielding points eX- tending inwardly from the said yielding ring so as to surround the end of a cue when thrust into the casing for rubbing the sides thereof. 8. A cue-chalking mechanism comprising acasing formed with cue-admitting apertures, inclined supports arranged upon the inner side of the casing-wall, chalk-holders movably mounted in the casing and engaging the inclined supports, the said supports holding the chalk in such a position as to engage the center and edges of a cue-tip, and means mounted in the said casing below the chalk-holders for catching and applying powdered chalk to the outer surface of cues thrust through the casing. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. WELLAND,

Witnesses:

W. A. DIENER,/ JOHN T. WIEDER. 

